So my goal for the year was to blog more and 3 months in, I failed. I haven’t had a personal blog post since March so I have some catching up to do.

Learning to sit at the table like the big girls they are.

Enjoying a nature walk on one of the first warm days of the year at our favorite metro park, Prairie Oaks.

Went to an engagement party for April and Emerson and got to see the chickens and sheep. I think these girls are country girls at heart.

Amry loves that car and no I did not let them chug a 2-liter of Pepsi. They dug that out of the trash which doesn’t sound much better.

I used to do long exposure photography in college with film so I thought I’d give it whirl with digital. I got a new camera and there was a thunderstorm approaching so I went outside to lurk in the trees and backyard. Unfortunately there was too much cloud cover and I was unable to get any good lightening shots but on the upside no one called the police because I was standing on the side of the street in the dark with a camera on a tripod pointed at my neighbors’ house.

Ava got to help Grandma and Grandpa plant their garden.

She’s showing off her new LuLaRoe leggings.

Ava’s last day of 3-year old preschool. She’s moving on up to the 4-year old level that’s three days a week.

Picture day with Graycee at Schiller Park. Cousins make the best friends.

They love to play in dirt.

Finally time to get the pool out. Sam is always thrilled when I take his picture.

Sam and I went to Pittsburgh for an evening to take some engagement photos. He was my stool holder for a while before heading off to a bar.

They really love their pool time.

And finally… Sam and Ava picked some strawberries for me so I could make jam. I spent an entire day, washing, trimming, boiling, pouring and cleaning to get 12 jars of strawberry and strawberry rhubarb jam. I doubt that will last until the end of the year so I’ve put in another order from mom for more rhubarb. I think it tastes better knowing where and how you got the produce.